Je Ho stood up from leaning against the glass railing, his hand pressed against his forehead.

How will she react? She’ll curse me. Call me trash.

A bitter smile lingered on Je Ho’s lips.

He could clearly see the end, yet he couldn’t let her go. No, he would never be able to let her go.

“Woo Kyul, are you listening to me? Stay away from Yu Li for a while, at least until we find out exactly who’s behind this. Okay?”

Je Ho didn’t respond, just tightened his grip on the phone.

That was the problem. Although he hadn’t mentioned it to Woo Kyul, he had a hunch about who was behind all this. If the person he suspected was indeed the mastermind, he had no idea how to handle it.

The most unbelievable part was that, even in the midst of all this, Yu Li’s face kept haunting his thoughts.

A madman. Absolutely insane.
Scolding herself, Je Ho turned towards the hall to wrap up the party.

What audacity does this woman have?

Yu Li stared at the intercom screen in disbelief. Assistant Shin Da Hee was waving at the camera smugly.

Such thick skin.

Although she didn’t know why Shin Da Hee came to her house, Yu Li was in no mood to meet her. It had only been half a day since Min Woo had visited…

As she was about to refuse, she noticed someone else behind Shin Da Hee.

“Yu Ri?”

Yu Li quickly opened the door and rushed to the gate. Drunk and unable to stand properly, Yu Ri was being supported by Shin Da Hee.

Today, of all days, Mrs. Ahn and Assemblyman Chae were out of town, and all the house staff had left. Yu Li reluctantly accepted Shin Da Hee’s help to bring Yu Ri to her room and lay her down.

“Oh, you didn’t know? I’m Yu Ri’s senior from university.”

Returning to the living room, Shin Da Hee explained. She added that there had been a university alumni gathering today and sat on the sofa, crossing her legs.

“Could I have a cup of hot tea? The weather’s been so chilly lately.”

Although Yu Li didn’t like Shin Da Hee, she couldn’t turn her away after bringing her intoxicated sister home.

“What kind of tea would you like?”

“Anything’s fine as long as it’s not bitter.”

In the kitchen, Yu Li made yuja tea and returned to the living room. Shin Da Hee took the tea cup with both hands, smiling faintly.

“Thank you.”

She drank the tea very slowly. Yu Li wished she would hurry up and leave, but Shin Da Hee seemed to have no such intention. When the cup was about half empty, Shin Da Hee spoke up.

“Ask Yu Ri about me. She’ll tell you I’m a really nice senior. So nice that I stayed silent even after a junior stole my long-time boyfriend.”

Yu Li couldn’t understand why Shin Da Hee would say something like that. Nice enough to let a boyfriend be stolen? Did she think Yu Li was completely unaware of her and Min Woo’s relationship?

“Oh, right. I wanted to tell you something at the wedding hall.”

Shin Da Hee leaned towards Yu Li and whispered as if mumbling.

“But your friend stopped me from entering the bride’s waiting room. Was there someone important inside?”

Yu Li frowned, and Shin Da Hee looked back, smiling brightly.

“I wanted to tell you not to be too stressed about the wedding… that it was bound to break anyway… Je Ho was too much. Should have given me a heads-up.”

Finishing her words, Shin Da Hee loudly set the teacup down.

“By the way, the tea at Je Ho’s place, it’s not too bitter, right?”

“What?”

“Sotae tea, I think it was called.”

Seeing Yu Li’s widened eyes, Shin Da Hee slowly stood up from the sofa.

“Enjoyed the tea, thank you.”

With that, she nodded and headed straight to the front door. Yu Li sat on the sofa, clutching her trembling hands.

Shin Da Hee’s actions were a provocation aimed at Yu Li. And surprisingly, the person used for this provocation wasn’t Kwon Min Woo, but Kwon Je Ho.
Why would Shin Da Hee mention Je Ho’s name?

Yu Li, after a moment’s delay, turned towards the front door where Shin Da Hee had left. She wanted to follow and ask her why, but refrained from doing so.

She couldn’t show any signs of being disturbed. Suppressing the seed of doubt that was trying to sprout, Yu Li got up from the sofa and headed to Yu Ri’s bedroom. Her sister needed her care first.

“Good morning.”

As Yu Li entered the office, everyone greeted her with smiles. She walked to her desk and set down her bag. The empty seat next to hers, still vacant after over two weeks, caught her eye.

There had been no contact from Je Ho since he left for America. Maybe it would remain that way until his return.

Yu Li had firmly stated they should casually see each other only until his departure to the U.S. He was in America now, and he had no obligation to contact her. Maybe their relationship was only valid in Korea.

Yet, she couldn’t completely shake off her feelings of disappointment. Moreover, Shin Da Hee’s words continued to haunt her. She wanted to ask how Shin Da Hee knew Je Ho and why she had been invited into her home, considering only those who had visited his house would know about the existence of Sotae tea. It didn’t seem likely that Min Woo had told her, as he had visited Je Ho’s house but never had tea.

Ring―, ring―.

Her phone rang on the desk with an unknown number. Yu Li was about to answer but then let it ring. Judging by the domestic number, it was probably Min Woo.

After blocking Min Woo’s phone, he had used different numbers to call her. Initially, she blocked each new number, but eventually gave up, knowing he would just use another one.

It seemed he was starting again after a brief hiatus. Once the ringing stopped, Yu Li put the phone in her bag and stood up.

“I need to step out for a bit.”

She had received a message from Assemblyman Chae’s assistant about some apartments they had secured. She needed to pick one, but couldn’t decide just from pictures, so she decided to check them out herself.

After choosing the most securely equipped apartment and completing the contract, Yu Li returned to the office near the end of the day. From the corridor, she sensed an unusually noisy atmosphere.

Could it be?

With a sense of foreboding, Yu Li quickened her steps, getting out of breath from the slight hurry.

Upon opening the door to the office, she found all the employees gathered around, buzzing with excitement. Calming her trembling heart, she slowly approached the crowd.

In the center of the group, she saw the back of a man with broad shoulders. A sweet, refreshing fragrance gently wafted around him. The man slowly turned to face Yu Li.

“Ah.”

Yu Li stopped in her tracks, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise.

He had returned.